This is a transcript of a YouTube live-stream segment (June 14, 2011) where host and media analyst TJ Walker review a recent presidential debate. Walker provides body-language and media-presence readings of candidates: he criticizes Ron Paul’s facial expressions (described as "sucking on lemons" and scowling), praises Michele Bachmann for appearing comfortable and coherent, calls Mitt Romney "presidential" largely on superficial appearance, and judges Tim Pawlenty to have "wimped out" during an exchange about "Obamacare"/"Obomnicare" while still remaining a credible contender.
Chapters
The scores are in on the presidential debate. Have you heard Mitt Romney looked presidential, did himself well up in New Hampshire last night. Then you had Michele Bachmann. She stole the show by announcing, yes, she indeed, she is in the race for president. But not just that, but Bachmann got in there and more than held her own. Tim Pawlenty, you heard about this, wouldn't say Mitt Romney. Wouldn't say to Mitt Romney what he had said on Sunday about Mitt Romney. All good fodder for my next guest, TJ Walker. He is a body language and media analyst, also a media trainer and presentation coach. And T.J. first things first. You hit on something that all the other commentators appear to have missed. From everything we've been watching last night and into today. You said Texas Congressman Ron Paul looked as though he were, in your words, sucking on lemons. Let's watch Ron Paul.
I wouldn't wait for my generals. I'm the commander in chief. I make the decisions. I tell the generals what to do. One of the ways to solve this ongoing debate about marriage, look up the dictionary. We know what marriage is all about, but then get the government out of it.
Had him as a guest on my show. Very nice man. But Ron Paul, again, in your words, sucking lemons. TJ not so nice.
He just, he just looks like that angry man down the street growing up who's always yelling at those kids to get off my lawn. And he's sort of hunched over, he's scowling. He seems angry. And at one point he said, you know, let's opt out of everything. And that really appeals to a certain hardcore element of tens of millions of libertarians in the country, and they're going to be emailing angry, nasty things to me. But for the rest of America, he does not come across presidential to most voters, in my view.
Okay, someone who has come across as presidential, according to you and a number of other pundits. We've been listening to Mitt Romney. He looked pretty good. That's what folks are saying. Also, Michele Bachmann, she looked good as well. How did they do? And specifically TJ how was their body language last night?
Well, Michele Bachmann came across incredibly comfortable before this debate. The, you know, the impression most people had of her who just see snippets on news are these wildly inflammatory soundbites. And for the first time, a, a lot of voters saw her give coherent arguments. And she came across as intelligent, likable, as a real person. We Learned about her five children, her 23 foster kids. So she came across as someone who could be a true leader, if not the president of the United States, at least the true leader of the Tea Party movement or a certain conservative movement. She still has the problem that she's a member of the House. And you look at the last 150 years, House members don't get nominated to be president of the United States.
What about Mitt Romney, though? What is it about him that says presidential?
Well, he's straight out of central casting as far as his look, his hair. He's got that Ronald Reagan hair. And you can accuse me of being superficial, but let's face it, Americans don't typically elect ugly presidents.
Well, that's why we're having a lie.
He has the look.
Let me move on because I want to listen. Forgive me, forgive me, T.J. but I do want to talk about Tim Pawlenty because a lot of people, they're dogging him because Pawlenty got on TV last Sunday, used the word obomnicare, basically saying Mitt Romney's Massachusetts health care plan was just like President Obama's. But then last night, he wouldn't say it to Mitt Romney, who was standing right there, even though our own John King invited him to do that. Let's watch that moment.
Your rival is standing right there. If it was Obamacare on Fox News Sunday, why is it not Obamacare standing here with the governor right there?
President Obama is the person who I quoted in saying he looked to Massachusetts for designing his program. He's the one who said it's a blueprint in that he merged the two programs. And so using the term obomnikare was a reflection of the president's comments.
He's not even looking over at Mitt Romney. I mean. All right, TJ Did Tim Pawlenty just wimp out there?
He did wimp out. However, I do think a lot of voters were looking at him and saying of this whole stage, there's only two people who really could be nominated, Mitt Romney and that governor of Minnesota. What's his name? Pawlenty. So I differ with a lot of the pundits out there. I don't think he destroyed himself. He did look like a wimp. There's no doubt about that moment. A lot of people are not happy with Romney and they're looking around. Pawlenty is at least credible. He came across as intelligent, rational and thoughtful. He might not have helped himself as much as he could have, but he didn't hurt his chances.
And hey, you know, if some of them don't ultimately get the, you know, candidacy for president. Some of them might have vice presidential nominations, and maybe that's why they were playing nice last night. TJ Walker, thank you so much. Coming up next, if the square.
